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President Joe Biden delivered his first public statement since he took his name out of the running for the 2024 Presidential election, elaborating that the decision was driven by his intention to "save democracy."
Knewz.com has learned that Biden also laid out his plans for the remaining months of his Presidency in the 11-minute public address from the Oval Office on Wednesday, July 24.
The President began his address by saying, "I revere this office but I love my country more."
"I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people but this sacred task of perfecting our Union, it's not about me it's about you."
Biden stepped down from his re-election bid to make way for Vice President Kamala Harris to run for the Democratic Presidential ticket, who has already garnered significant support for her campaign.
It seems the June 27 Presidential debate was one of the final nails in the Biden campaign's coffin as he failed to invoke much public confidence.
On the other hand, support for Donald Trump – despite his felony convictions – seemed unwavering, with his attempt to position himself as the younger and more energetic alternative and his "Department of Justice is out to get me" narrative being contributing factors.
However, with Harris having thrown her hat in the ring, Democrats have shown reinvigorated efforts to bolster her campaign.
It was reported that the Harris presidential campaign has been able to raise $81 million in just 24 hours. In addition, around 28,000 volunteers have registered to help with her campaign.
In his public statement, President Biden repeatedly called on the American populace to make the conscious decision to protect the country's democracy when they cast their votes in the November Presidential election.
"I've made it clear that I believe America is at an inflection point, one of those rare moments in history when the decisions we make now will determine our fate of our nation and the world for decades to come," the President said from the Oval Office.
"America is going to have to choose between moving forward or backward, between hope and hate, between unity and division. We have to decide do we still believe in honesty, decency, respect, freedom, justice, and democracy."
Notably, no United States President since 1968 has publicly reflected on why they wanted to voluntarily give up on running for another term. The last time it happened was when President Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek re-election amidst the criticism faced for the Vietnam War.
The President added that he believes his track record as the U.S. Commander-in-Chief, as well as "his leadership" and "vision for America's future," merited a second term in Office.
"But nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation, that's the best way to unite our nation," Biden said in his statement.
The "next generation" seems already geared up for the Presidential race, with VP Harris officially launching her Presidential campaign video on July 25, set to the tune of the Beyoncé hit 'Freedom.'
President Biden also laid out the objectives he intends to work toward during the final months of his Presidency, and it is quite a long list.
"Over the next six months, I'll be focused on doing my job as president, that means I'll continue to lower costs for hardworking families, grow our economy. I'll keep defending our personal freedoms and our civil rights from the right to vote to the right to choose," he said.
"I'll keep calling out hate and extremism, make it clear there is no place in America for political violence or any violence."
"I'm going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence, our planet from climate crisis… and I will keep fighting… so we can end cancer as we know it because we can do it, and I'm going to call for Supreme Court reform," the President pledged in the public statement.